The Golden Days of Autumn by Thomas Atkins
Falling in Love with Fall
Story and Photos by Thomas Atkins
This time each year, once autumn has officially arrived, I make my annual pilgrimage over the Sierra peaks in search of the season’s gold. This gold, found in the many folds and canyons of the Eastern Sierra’s vast terrain, is not the same treasure that was sought after by the men who braved the mountain passes in the 1800s. The gold that I speak of is not found in the ground, but in the air, a colorful canopy of golden leaves, gracing us with their glory for a few short weeks. Although these fragile leaves of autumn possess no monetary value, to the eyes and soul they are worth much more. For in this exquisite tapestry of alpine scenery is Robert Frost’s poetic age-old reminder that nothing gold can stay and we must cherish the colorful splendor of the season while we can.
Everyone does this in their own way, but for me, I prefer a trip to the East Side, and each season I faithfully follow the twisting narrow path over Sonora Pass to relish in the Creator’s handiwork. Although these leafy pockets of gold can be found all over the Sierra, from my experience, the golden colors of autumn seem to ignite much earlier and burn much brighter on the arid eastern slopes. This probably has something to do with its higher elevation and harsh climate, but it is also because the golden glow of its fall foliage creates a vivid contrast against its bleak and barren backdrop. Though this diverse and dramatic mountain desert may seem as if it’s made of nothing more than the somber tones of grays and browns, there is much more to this desert than meets the eye…especially in the spell of autumn. Venturing into any of its numerous canyons, one will find forests, rivers, creeks, meadows and mountain slopes spilling with splendid fall colors.
Last weekend, to partake in this traditional treasure hunt, I traveled to these water and glacier carved canyons in hopes to catch a glimpse of autumn’s glorious golden transformation. With dozens of canyons to choose from, it is easy for one to escape into its wild beauty and witness this astonishing transformation in complete solitude. It is in these canyons that I try to spend my September and October weekends, exploring their alluring landscape before winter barricades the passes. While on these fleeting weekend excursions I do my best to stock up on the golden days of autumn, and allow the pictures and memories of these adventures to keep me warm throughout the winter.
My route of choice to reach these unique canyons is by highway 108, but by heading east from Tuolumne or Calaveras County one will find four other options leading to the East Side’s enticing terrain: highway 120 (Tioga Pass), highway 4 (Ebbetts Pass) (with highway 89 (Monitor Pass) as an alternate route), and highway 88 (Carson Pass). Once these highways terminate at highway 395, one of the West’s most scenic roads, the direction is up to you – north or south will lead you into the wonders of the East Side.
Each year I try to explore different canyons, and since I had visited Twin Lakes canyon, Green Lakes canyon and Virginia Lakes canyon in years past, this outing led me to the uncharted terrain of Burt Canyon and Molybdenite Canyon. Not far south from the highway 108 junction, I turned off the 395 onto a dirt road to the trailheads. My first day was spent in the spacious walls of Burt Canyon, and as I began my trek, I was quickly reminded why autumn is my favorite season: the summer crowds were gone, the sound of a sleepy mountain river trickling serenely along its course as if preparing for hibernation, the castle of clouds hanging on the horizon hinting of a possible thunder storm, the soft sunlight and cooler weather, and my favorite part…the colors. Unfortunately, it never seems to last very long, and I am always determined to squeeze as much sightseeing as I can out of my 48-hour excursions.
Well, last weekend, I got an eye full. Following the trail into Burt Canyon, which meandered along the peaceful waters of the Little Walker River, it wasn’t long before I was greeted by the first signs of fall. A grove of yellow-tinted aspen waved in the breeze along the waters edge, creating a golden reflection in a tranquil pool. I could tell that I had come too early to witness the full flood of radiant fall color, but there were a few golden rebels who stood out proudly amidst the rest of the green grove, which alone made the trip worthwhile.
It is the aspen that make this time of year so remarkable and as the leaves begin to turn, they become a colorful mountain collage – a true masterpiece of the Creator himself. While most deciduous trees of the Sierra tend to turn a variety of colors (and the birch, poplars, maples and oaks are all beautiful), none put on a better performance than these regal trees. Recognized mostly for their bright golden-yellow foliage in the fall, these elegant beauties are also capable of producing captivating shades of orange and red. Known as quaking aspen or mountain aspen, these graceful white-trunked trees thrive between the elevations of 6,000 and 10,000 feet, and in the fall paint everything from the meadows to the mountains with glorious hues. These tall, fast growing trees are the most widely distributed tree species in North America, allowing all to witness nature’s wondrous work of art.
Burt Canyon is also home to wind sculpted juniper trees, keeping watch from their perches on the hills and cliffs leading up to the towering peaks that surrounded the canyon. Upon reaching the summit of a few of these peaks, some of which were over 11,500 feet, I had grand views of the surrounding Toiyabe National Forest, Hoover Wilderness, and Yosemite National Park. I could also see into the canyon I planned to hike on Sunday and I was excited, for even from high on my perch I could see a golden sea of aspen, as if the canyon was ablaze. It looked as if autumn had paid a much earlier visit to this neighboring valley.
On my return route, I stopped by Anna Lake (home to golden trout), and then made a cross-country trek to the canyon’s beginning. Along the way I startled a nice sized black bear, which (thankfully) took off running in the opposite direction. Needless to say I was startled as well and had the urge to react in the same way. Back along the trail at dusk I experienced another startling experience when I heard loud splashing sounds in the river. Who or what would be throwing boulders into a river at this hour? Four options crossed my mind. It was either a bear or a mountain lion hunting for fish, a crazy person taking a bath or Bigfoot…and none of them sounded very appealing. To hide my fear I thought optimistically, and although all the fish I had seen in the river throughout the day were no bigger than my hand, that it was a monster trout jumping up to get some flies. As I crept down to the creek to take a look, I found that it was none of the above. It was a beaver! This was a new encounter for me and I was amazed at the power and the sound of its tail as it slapped it against the water. The furry critter pounded the water a few more times and then disappeared into the depths. The rest of my hike was uneventful, and I returned to my truck by the light of my headlamp and the soft glow of the moon.
In the morning I journeyed into nearby Molybdenite Canyon, which was, as I had witnessed from yesterday’s peaks, bursting with colors. Dazzling groves of aspen dotted the hillsides and lined the creek, making up for the dry, browning meadows which had long been drained of spring’s bouquet of colors by the summer heat. The approach to the aspen groves was compared to watching a firework display of yellows and oranges, but entering a grove was like walking into the threshold of a small mountain chapel. It was a magical experience as I heard the leaves whisper in the wind and watched the sun cascade through the vibrant leafy rooftop, piercing each leaf as if shinning through a stained glass window. The slender trees rose like ivory flag poles through the forest floor, proudly waving their colorful banners in the breeze. In some sections of the grove the aspen grew close together and were as thick as bamboo, while other sections allowed plenty of room to wander around the narrow columns. After taking a break beneath the cool kaleidoscope of colors, I continued on the trail along a pleasant creek which had the same name as the canyon.
Near the edges of the creek I could see the stumps of some of the smaller aspen that had been whittled into a point – a sign that this canyon was home to beavers as well – and by the looks of it, they seemed to be opening up some kind of beaver resort on the creek. I was amazed at the number of dams they had built, and in several places they had caused the creek to flood the meadow and create pools. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to see one of these small tail-slapping creatures in the daylight…but fortunately I didn’t have any encounters with big critters either. For if I had run into a bear on today’s hike it could’ve been a different story than yesterdays. Stamped into the dusty path from the trailhead to as far as I ventured up the spectacular canyon (about 5 miles), were some very large bear prints… accompanied by cub prints. From what I’ve been told, that is not a good combo to mess with.
Drained from yesterdays all day adventure, I decided to return to the truck early and head back over the pass in the remaining light to check on some of my favorite golden groves along highway 108’s western side. Stopping by Kennedy Meadow, Eagle Meadow and Bell Meadow I found them all still in uniform green. But who knows, by next weekend, they could be bursting with a fiery brilliance. Because the weather plays a major role in determining when, where and what color the leaves will change, it is impossible to pinpoint where the Sierra’s most colorful setting will be – and this is what makes autumn’s hunt for these heavenly hues so exciting! It all depends on what the season has in store. Thankfully, the Sierra usually does have a grace period and gives color-seekers at least 4,000 feet of elevation to work with, so if you miss the show in the higher elevations you can wait for the leaves to turn down below.
For the most colorful results, it is usually best to visit aspen groves on numerous occasions so you don’t miss out. Often times you may show up to the show too early (like in Burt Canyon), and see most of the same greens you’ve seen all summer. But at least you know that you haven’t missed the show…because there is nothing worse than that! Arriving early is better than arriving too late with nothing to see but a bleak and barren, bare-boned looking forest stripped of its splendor, with its fallen golden treasures lying at its feet. Yet if you are persistent or happen to time it just right, you will witness these trees at the absolute peak of their color capacity and take part in an autumn performance that you will never forget.
Take advantage of this golden opportunity and try to catch the season’s most phenomenal show. If you don’t like to hike, it is still worth taking a scenic drive, and if you have the time I recommend a road trip over Tioga Pass, Sonora Pass, Ebbetts Pass (and Monitor Pass) or Carson Pass to the East Side’s captivating canyons within the next couple of weeks. To see more of the diverse Sierra landscape and to create a greater opportunity to witness more fall foliage you might want to make your route into a loop. With five passes to choose from you have the option of making bigger, longer loops or smaller, shorter loops…it’s up to you. But do it soon! If you wait too long, fall will have lived up to its namesake and taken its toll, leaving nothing but a carpet of golden remnants scattered across the forest floor. So get out and enjoy these autumn days while they are still golden…because winter will soon arrive with its world of white wonders before you know it.
